May 11, 2009

UT's Wangmene gets OK on medical redshirt

Texas sophomore forward Alexis Wangmene has received notification that he will be awarded a medical redshirt for the past season that will allow him three more years to complete his college eligibility.

Wangmene is a 6-foot-7 forward whose return from last season's knee injury is expected to boost the Longhorns' front line next season, especially in the areas of defense and rebounding. Because of his athleticism and reach, he is expected to back up Dexter Pittman and give Texas a change of pace option for the 6-foot-10 center.

"Lexy is tough, fearless and he will go at it and rebound and defend," coach Rick Barnes said. "He is a really good one-on-one post defender and he has improved his offensive skills. Everyone has forgotten about him."

Wangmene struggled with a knee injury in preseason camp last fall. He played in four of the first five games before it was determined he would need surgery to correct the situation and he did not play the rest of the year. As a freshman, he played in 37 of 38 games and averaged 2.3 points and 2.3 rebounds with 18 blocked shots.

He was cleared to resume full training in April.

"One thing I know I do for sure is play defense and bring toughness," Wangmene said in a recent interview. "And I've worked a lot on my hook shot. All those things combined, I should be a good weapon for next season."